As reported by the National Law Review, Manatt attorneys represented Rickey Lane in upgrading his discharge status to “honorable”. The Manatt team was led by Craig de Recat, a partner in the firm’s litigation practice, and Cherise Latortue, an associate in the firm’s litigation practice.
According to the publication, Lane was discharged from the United States Navy due to perceptions of his sexual orientation. Since he was not given an honorable discharge, he was not able to access certain benefits, such as those from the VA. The Manatt team worked to straighten out his record and began the process with filing in the Ninth Circuit.
The National Law Review reported that, despite the fact that the statute of limitations for amending records with the Board for the Correction of Naval Records is 15 years, the team reasoned that the Board had the capacity to waive the statute of limitations for the sake of justice. The case closed with Lane receiving an amended discharge status that now provides him access to the VA’s resources.
“The board will advise that there be no further litigation, or back and forth with the VA at this point as to whether he’s eligible for benefits,” said Latortue.
Read the article here.